June 30, 2015

"Could Barack Obama's great week mark a turning point in his poll numbers?"

"After months of stagnant approval ratings, a new CNN/ORC poll finds that for the first time in more than two years, 50% of Americans approve of the way Obama is handling the presidency. And his overall ratings are bolstered by increasingly positive reviews of his treatment of race relations and the economy."

ADDED: After posting that, the very next thing I saw was email from "Barack Obama" (the email address is democraticparty@democrats.org) that read:
Ann --

A few weeks ago, one of the Republicans running to follow me in this office referred to me as "the outgoing president."

Now, it is technically true that I'll be leaving this office in about 18 months. And our opponents are counting on the values and ideals that have been at the foundation of my presidency following me out the door.

But they're forgetting one important thing: These have always been your values, too.

The other side is betting that your passion -- your desire to make change -- is coming to an end. And right now, you have a chance to prove them wrong.

Pitch in $10 or whatever you can and be one of the last 23 people we need to step up in your community before tonight's deadline....
One of the last 23 people we need to step up in your community? That's weird. Too weird. Who responds to that kind of creepy particularity? The President of the United States is counting heads, in my community? If I were paranoid, I'd be freaked out that the number is 23. I've favored that number since the 1970s.

52 comments:

rhhardin said...

Those are women.

Eric said...

What it means is that somebody moved away and now there are 23 Republicans in Madison.

bleh said...

Race relations are much, much worse now than they were in 2008. Mike Brown, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Dylann Roof, #BlackLivesMatter, the Confederate battle flag kerfuffle ... now Jefferson and Washington are in the SJW crosshairs ... the American flag is next ...

Excuse me if I don't feel the love.

MayBee said...

HIs poll numbers did go up, but it's interesting how his "great week" was marketing. It was a shooting of 9 people, turned into a great moment for him because he sang at a funeral.
Gay marriage- something he ran against just 6 years ago- was made legal by courts, not by him.
And Obamacare is able to continue spending federal money.

In the meantime, the Iran talks are a mess, ISIS is killing people in horrific ways, the UK had 30 people slaughtered on a beach, and 9 people were shot in a mass killing.

MayBee said...

I wonder if they poll people to determine what number is appealing in an email like that.

Bushman of the Kohlrabi said...

I wonder if the winner of the next Presidential election will assume Obama's "Office of the President-Elect" title. I think I would. Although I would ditch the phony seal he used along with it.

MayBee said...

OH, and there were two escaped prisoners on the loose. Which would make some question Obama's dream of closing Gitmo and putting Kahlid Sheik Mohammed in prison here in the US. But no. There are no questions to be asked. Obama sang!


(ps. Whatever happened to KSM's trial?)

MayBee said...

Bushman- that Office of the President Elect was the funniest thing ever. Our country went berserk for this man. His ego knows no bounds (just last week, he called himself "fearless")

Big Mike said...

Are they really your values, too?

tim in vermont said...

They are everybody's values. That's why they had to win through the courts and not by elections.

Anonymous said...

If you consider great....dividing the American people as much as he can!!!! Imagine the next conservative president lighting up the WH in the confederate flag!!!!

Matt Sablan said...

I was told if I voted for Mitt Romney, the government would increase surveillance on me and my neighbors to quash political dissent and encourage political conformity, and they were right!

MayBee said...

It was revealed that over 14 million people had their most private information hacked due to lax security of the OPM. It was further revealed the Obama administration decided to lie about the scope of it, to make it sound as if there were different hacks, so they could get away without reporting it. All the while, Obama says he has confidence in the leadership of the OPM.

But hey. Obama sang at a funeral.

Meade said...

At least he called it "your community" and not "your commune". That would be beyond creepy.

Meade said...

It would be terrifiant.

Tank said...

Polls? Is he running for something?

damikesc said...

Let's ignore what he HAS done:

Given Iran the nuke and declined ANY investigations of their facilities.
Destabilized the entire Middle East.
Led to a NUCLEAR ARMS RACE IN THAT SAME MIDDLE EAST.
Has nothing planned for Greece's collapse.
Has made the US Putin's bitch.
Allowed China to hack US federal employee info and hasn't even said a word about it.
Protected several federal agencies in absolute violation of laws.
Defended his Sec of State in her multiple violations of law.
Has, as always, shown that the only enemy he has are conservatives and Republicans.

Time cannot come soon enough for him to be an ex-President. And when he dies, there isn't enough urine in the world to piss on his grave with.

Brando said...

Most of this is due to the Left coming home to roost over the Supreme Court rulings and moderates giving him credit for the gradually improving economy. It's also possible that some of this is the backwash effect of negative news about the Clintons (making Obama seem better by comparison for those on the Left) and negative news on Trump (making some moderates think a GOP clown show is starting, and making Obama seem adult by coparison).

It doesn't much matter though, as the man is for all practical purposes an ex president. His only second term legacy will be the trade deal he worked out with the GOP--everything else will be small-ball executive orders and a few lofty speeches. More important is whether any clout he has will help the Democratic nominee--his coattails are notoriously short.

Michael K said...

The Iran deal will cement his legacy, just like Neville's did.

Meade said...

Obama has been fine.

Now let's move on and look to the future — Jindal, Rubio, Cruz, Walker, Paul, or Christie.

Meade said...

All the others are too old and represent the past.

Meade said...

Especially too old are Carson, Perry, Trump, Clinton, Webb, Sanders, and Biden.

tim in vermont said...

-his coattails are notoriously short.

He's like Ishmael, the only member of his party left standing after the battle for Obamacare smashed the Democrats.

Big Mike said...

@tim, yours is the special 23rd comment.

Big Mike said...

@Meade, some economics homework for you. What does the US economy look like if you subtract the contribution of Texas? Compare and contrast the 49 states' economy with the stagflation economy under Jimmy Carter.

Due tomorrow morning at 9:00 Central.

William said...

Given the adulatory nature of his coverage by the media, fifty percent is actually pretty low. In Saudi Arabia, the Prophet Mohammed is subject to harsher criticism by the media outlets there.

khematite@aol.com said...

Just as a matter of curiosity--have you favored the number 23 since the 1970s because that's when you read the Illuminatus trilogy?

cubanbob said...

Meade said...
Especially too old are Carson, Perry, Trump, Clinton, Webb, Sanders, and Biden.

6/30/15, 9:20 AM

Was your oversight of Hillary an error? Or bias?

cubanbob said...


""Could Barack Obama's great week mark a turning point in his poll numbers?""

Any information on where this poll was conducted? For such a non-reality based conclusion one can only conclude this poll was taken at various insane asylums.

Michelle Dulak Thomson said...

cubanbob,

What do you think "Clinton" in the list represents? Bill?

tim in vermont said...

Face it, Obama looked like a winner this week. Hillary on the other hand has been taking some studiously ignored hits.

For instance she altered some of those emails she handed over to take out embarrassing references to oil rights in the Libyan debacle.

There is actually a law about the falsifying or concealing public records.

May I quote:

18 U.S. Code § 2071 - Concealment, removal, or mutilation generally

(a) Whoever willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, or destroys, or attempts to do so, or, with intent to do so takes and carries away any record, proceeding, map, book, paper, document, or other thing, filed or deposited with any clerk or officer of any court of the United States, or in any public office, or with any judicial or public officer of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.

(b) Whoever, having the custody of any such record, proceeding, map, book, document, paper, or other thing, willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, falsifies, or destroys the same, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both; and shall forfeit his office and be disqualified from holding any office under the United States. As used in this subsection, the term “office” does not include the office held by any person as a retired officer of the Armed Forces of the United States.

tim in vermont said...

But these laws were never intended to snag Democrats. Same with the sexual harassment statutes. They are only there against the chance they might apply to a Republican.

Matt Sablan said...

"For instance she altered some of those emails she handed over to take out embarrassing references to oil rights in the Libyan debacle."

-- You say altered, I say tampered.

Frankly, that would have sunk any other person on the planet from having any hopes to do anything ever again. She should be in jail. She tampered with the federal record and lied on official documents.

I guess perjury just runs in the family.

Michelle Dulak Thomson said...

cubanbob,

If Obama's "great poll numbers" mean that half the country, statistically speaking and via CNN, think he's doing a decent job, I think the poll is probably correct, so far as it goes. Obama had a damned good week, after all, what with the PPACA and gay marriage (the White House be-rainbowed, forsooth!) and his Charleston eulogy and everything. And with all that, he actually broke even in a poll; for the first time in years, half the people approved of him.

I don't actually think that this is much of an accomplishment, myself.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, that "strong Obama Economy" which had "negative growth" last quarter. One more quarter of that, and we're in the Obama Recession.

It's amazing what you can accomplish when the media as simply willing to lie for you at every turn.

Chuck said...

Others have beaten me to it; any improved polling numbers are a triumph for media spin.

Instead of recalling that Obama opposed gay marriage to get elected in 2008 and as recently as 2012, the White House was bathed, literally and figuratively, in rainbow colors.

And instead of recalling what a partisan mess of bad drafting, it was said that the Supreme Court "upheld" the ACA, instead of reporting the fact that the Supreme Court saved the Act by declining to enforce some of its clearest terms.

cubanbob said...

Michelle Dulak Thomson said...
cubanbob,

What do you think "Clinton" in the list represents? Bill?

6/30/15, 10:43 AM"

You're sharp. Thats exactly what I meant. The sub-text for Hillary is that is that it's really Bill round two and Hillary is only the beard. Like George Wallace and his wife.

HoodlumDoodlum said...

Ann Althouse said...If I were paranoid, I'd be freaked out that the number is 23. I've favored that number since the 1970s.

Oh have you now? The Number 23?

Brando said...

"You're sharp. Thats exactly what I meant. The sub-text for Hillary is that is that it's really Bill round two and Hillary is only the beard. Like George Wallace and his wife."

What is it with these corrupt Southern Democrats who keep trying to rule through their wives?

The only difference between Bill Clinton and George Wallace was that in Wallace's time it was more politically advantageous to be openly segregationist. No serious person thinks Bill Clinton would not have done the same if he came of age thirty years earlier.

Tom Donelson said...

last week was a good week, and overlooked was Isis killing spree, Iranian surrender and the Greeks slide into bankruptcy. This week, the Greeks and Puerto Rico slip further in the abyss, ISIS will start a new killing spree, the Iranians continues to take Obama for a ride and Obamacare may have survived a legal challenge but reality of Obamacare of being overpriced continues. Realty bites again and the polls will reflect.

Brando said...

I hope for obvious reasons that Greece does not turn into a general economic disaster, but if that did happen we might remember "Obama's great week" the same way we remember the "summer of the shark attacks" from 2001.

damikesc said...

Yeah, that "strong Obama Economy" which had "negative growth" last quarter. One more quarter of that, and we're in the Obama Recession.

This is the same admin that had a phantom quarter of remarkable job growth right before the 2012 elections.

No way they'll allow a recession to happen...until the inevitable restatement of growth downward several weeks later.

Anonymous said...

I'd be freaked out that the number is 23.

Obama isn't even trying to hide his connections to the Illuminati anymore.

Anthony said...

Obama is like the guy at the office who keeps getting promoted even though no one ever sees him actually doing anything except showing up when a project starts and then presenting it to management and taking credit for it when it's done.

machine said...

...just think if the saboteurs had pitched in just a little bit.

cubanbob said...

machine said...
...just think if the saboteurs had pitched in just a little bit.

6/30/15, 3:32 PM

Fear not. Obama still has eighteen months to continue to mess things up all by himself.

damikesc said...

...just think if the saboteurs had pitched in just a little bit.

They passed his trade bill and punished conservatives who opposed it.

Boehner ALSO swallowed, from what I've heard.

What more do you want? You have both parties on the same side on the major issues. And your side wants to elect the most corrupt person in American political history President.

cubanbob said...

Brando said...
"You're sharp. Thats exactly what I meant. The sub-text for Hillary is that is that it's really Bill round two and Hillary is only the beard. Like George Wallace and his wife."

What is it with these corrupt Southern Democrats who keep trying to rule through their wives?

The only difference between Bill Clinton and George Wallace was that in Wallace's time it was more politically advantageous to be openly segregationist. No serious person thinks Bill Clinton would not have done the same if he came of age thirty years earlier.

6/30/15, 1:54 PM"

Absolutely correct. Indeed Bill was sleazier and more corrupt than Wallace. I mentioned Hillary in the context of Bill simply because Bill was lucky in both the timing of his accidental election and in his enemies allowing him to have a successful economy in spite of himself and voters will tend to conflate Hillary with Bill and hope for the same accidental run of good economic luck. Without Bill Hillary is nothing. No record worth speaking off and no accomplishments worth speaking off unless one is an admirer of graft and corruption.

pm317 said...

I've favored that number since the 1970s.

Mine that data, fuckers!

tim in vermont said...

...just think if the saboteurs had pitched in just a little bit.

"saboteurs", "kulaks", "wreckers" it's always somebody else's fault.

Anonymous said...

Do you know the enemy who has come in the night and overthrown our windmill? SNOWBALL!

khematite@aol.com said...

Can't say that I remember that one. But I did think for a long time that I had imagined "It's in the Book." Fortunately, then came the Web. A big hit in 1952 and supposedly the first million-selling comedy single:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdaeQLCTa6g